3 Star

Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Case.

Julien Leclercq (The Informant) brings Jean-Claude Van Damme (Double Impact, Bloodsport, Universal Soldier) to a new genre for him, Film Noir. This is a bit of a shock for Van Damme fans as we expect the splits and high kicks , but at 59 I suppose we have to forgive him that, however he still has the power and speed in those hands. An anti-hero with a child to support.

Lukas (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a man with a sketchy past, having worked as a bodyguard in South Africa. But now he is an anonymous night club bouncer keeping an eye on the customers as they ply themselves with alcohol and anything else at hand. He works shifts for his friend Maxim Zeroual (Sami Bouajila, A Stormy Summer Night).

He does the job to pay for his daughter Sarah’s (Alice Verset, Mad Mom) school fees. But one night a rowdy customer has a go at one of the waitresses and Lukas takes him to one side. A tussle ensues and the customer ends up unconscious, which ends up getting him fired, but Maxim gives him a lead on a bouncer job at a strip club. Lukas heads over there and he is lead down to the cellar by Geert (Kevin Janssens, High Heels, Low Tide) the owners right hand man.

“Last man standing gets the job!”

Lukas finds himself in a fight with six other men eager to get the job and we see Lukas’ fighting instincts as they battle hard for the job.

“You start Friday!”

The police pick Lukas up and ask him about his new employer Jan Dekkers (Sam Louwyck, Cargo) a man wanted in twenty countries for counterfeiting, but they cannot find any evidence and they want Lukas to work for them to take Jan down. But first Lukas has to gain his trust.

Whilst working he sees a girl at the bar who keeps getting her drinks for free, she is Lisa Zaccherini (Sveva Alviti, Love Addict) an Italian who must be well in with Jan to get all her drink for free. She is and it is Lukas’ job to look after her.